One nerdy pastor's proclamation, examination and defense of the
Great Eucatastrophe.

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Easter Vigil Sermon: "Oh, Holy Night"

+ Easter
Vigil – April 4th, 2015 +

Redeemer Lutheran, HB

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the
Holy Spirit. Amen.

Oh, how
wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to redeem
a slave, You gave Your Son.

Oh, how
wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to rescue
us fallen sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, You sent a Second Adam who is bone
of our bone and flesh of our flesh.

Oh, how
wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to keep
us safe from an eternal flood of judgment, You sent Jesus who is our true man
of rest to shelter us in the ark of Christ’s body, the Church.

Oh, how
wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to make
us faithful children of Abraham, You gave your Son, Your only Son, to be our
substitute, and provide the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
world.

Oh, how
wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to
deliver us from bondage to sin and death, the prophet greater than Moses leads
us on his greater exodus through the waters of Baptism into Your promised land.

Oh, how
wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to raise
our dusty bones from death, Your Son Jesus was laid into our tomb so that by
his dying and rising, He would breathe new life upon us.

Oh, how
wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to redeem
us from suffering and death, You engraved our iniquities into the rock of
Christ’s flesh, and inscribed our names forever in the Lamb’s book of life.

Oh, how
wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to save
us from the eternal abyss, our Greater Jonah went down into the belly of the
earth and was spewed out again three days later for us.

Oh, how
wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to dispel
the darkness of sin, You gave this night, when Christ the Life and Light of the
world, arose from the dead, broke the seal of the grave, and gave us the dawn
of Your new creation.

O night
that is brighter than day,
O night more dazzling than the sun,
O night more sparkling than fresh snow,
O night more brilliant than all our lamps!
O night that is sweeter than Paradise,
O night delivered from darkness,
O night that dispels the sleep of sin,
O night that makes us keep vigil with the angels,
O night terrible for the demons,
O night desired by all the year,
O night that leads the bridal Church to her Spouse,
O night that is mother to those enlightened!
O night in which the Devil, sleeping, was despoiled,
O night in which the Heir brings the co-heirs to their heritage! (Prayer of Asterius of Pontus (341-c. 400), for Easter
Eve)

Oh, how
wonderful and beyond all telling is Your mercy toward us, O God, that to redeem
a slave, You gave Your Son.

In the
Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.